Lena Lombardi: better than ever

Until her late 80’s, Lena Lombardi (pictured with her son Lenny) had always lived a healthy and independent life.

Then she developed an intestinal disorder so severe that for over three months she was in and out of hospital. After weeks of pain and exhaustion, Lena was released from the hospital, and afraid of what lay ahead…taking care of herself.

Luckily for Lena, she was a candidate for rehabilitation and her son, Lenny, insisted it be at Toronto Rehab – one of the world’s top rehabilitation hospitals.

When Lena first arrived at Toronto Rehab, she was so weak that she was unable to sit up on her own. Within minutes of arriving on the unit with her family, she was welcomed by her care team: occupational therapist, physical therapist and doctor. Lena was committed to getting her health and independence back.

Lena admits that she is the sort of person who does not accept help easily and dislikes feeling like a burden. However, her care team at Toronto Rehab encouraged her to see that she was in fact an important member of the team and her job was to work at getting better. Lena quickly developed a trust and affection for her entire team.

Daily visits from her physiotherapist and dietician kept her involved and convinced her that she could help herself get better and return to her life. Her relationships with her care team helped give her the physical and emotional strength she needed to push herself harder each day.

Now, at the age of 92, Lena understands how important it is to keep learning and sometimes relearn. While at Toronto Rehab, she learned about the importance of nutrition and daily activity, for body and mind. She was reminded that you have to eat well to get well.

Lena never doubted for a moment that the love and support of her family was extremely important to her recovery but she also discovered that she could not have returned home - stronger than ever - without the help of her team at Toronto Rehab.

If someone at Toronto Rehab helped make your rehabilitation journey incredible – celebrate them! Our Celebrate Your Rehab Champion program provides the opportunity for you to say thank you with a donation to Toronto Rehab Foundation. All honourees receive a personalized card to show that their incredible care is making a difference. Celebrate Your Rehab Champion Today!